Newsroom

Kids Look Up to These Volunteers

May 19, 2000

Members of the Jordan High School basketball team have been visiting Addams Elementary School this spring to promote reading among primary age children.
The basketball players visit classrooms for the last 30 minutes of the school day reading books to students and discussing the importance of doing well in school.
At first, principal Cheryl James-Ward was not enthusiastic about the idea, but when she saw the positive impact that the athletes had on the younger students, she quickly became a convert.
"Many of my less enthusiastic readers now even find reading to be a cool thing, since the cool basketball players enjoy reading to them," said James-Ward.
At Lakewood High School, student Linda Nguyen formed "Share," a program designed to show younger students the joys of reading.
Every Friday afternoon, Nguyen and her volunteer Lakewood readers read at Cleveland Elementary School Kids Club for about an hour.
"The kids love it. They look forward to Fridays," said Linda Williams, Kids Club supervisor. "These kids never miss a Friday, and they are very enthusiastic. It’s just wonderful to see. The kids just come running over to them when they arrive."
Nguyen has a 4.6 grade point average and has won a scholarship to Notre Dame this fall.

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